Seek Knowledge Throughout the World? Mobility in Islamic Higher Education

Welch, Anthony

doi:10.2304/rcie.2012.7.1.70

Cited by 21 publications

(13 citation statements)

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“…Under the influence of the Umayyads and Abbasids, the region became Islamised from around 29 (650). During the so-called golden age of Islam (eighth-twelfth centuries CE), major regional scholarly centres existed in Baghdad, Cairo and Bokhara, attracting scholars, some of whom were non-Muslim (Welch, 2012). Afghanistan featured centres of learning in Herat, Ghazni, Kandahar and Kabul, especially during the Samaind and Seljuk eras 254-378 (875-999), and 416-573 (1037-1194), respectively (Zaheer and Ailmi, 1960, pp.…”

Section: Quality Assurance In Afghan Higher Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quality assurance in Afghan higher education: achievements and challenges

Welch

Wahidyar²

2019

AEDS

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review the development of quality assurance (QA) processes in higher education in Afghanistan and chart and assess the current achievements and challenges. Drawing on fieldwork, documentary research and secondary sources, the analysis seeks to integrate these elements into an integrated overall analysis of the phenomenon of QA in Afghan higher education, including its evolution over time, with some attention given to the implications for future development. Design/methodology/approach The methodology is based on field study, conducted by one of the authors, interviews with the Ministry of Higher Education officials by the second author, collection and analysis of policy documents and review of relevant literature. Findings Key findings reveal some tensions between stated policies regarding QA in Afghan higher education: limited finance, growing levels of insecurity and limited capacity within the Ministry of Higher Education, including staff training. Some barriers within higher education institutions are also pointed out in both public and private higher educational institutions. Research limitations/implications Implications of the research are that although further funding is needed to institute QA in higher education institutions, both public and private, this is unlikely in the current circumstances, with donor funds limited and commitments not always fulfilled. Anti-corruption measures will continue to be important, and declining security, in some provinces more than others, will likely limit the effective implementation of QA measures. Practical implications Given current conditions in Afghanistan, there are clear practical limits to what can be achieved in strengthening QA in higher education. The undoubted enthusiasm of the people, however, means that the situation must be addressed as far as possible. Greater engagement with regional QA networks, more training for QA assessors and greater regulation of the burgeoning private sector would go a long way to bring about improvement, as would ongoing efforts to rein in corruption. Social implications An important move regarding direct social implications would be to maintain and strengthen moves to engage more women in higher education, including higher proportions of (senior) female administrative and academic staff. Although barriers to women’s empowerment are by no means restricted to the higher education sector, it should show the lead in both enrolment and employment. Originality/value While QA in higher education is a major focus of higher education literature, there are less research studies on QA measures in developing country contexts and even less on fragile states such as Afghanistan. But for the country to prosper, good quality higher education is vital, and a study of the implementation of QA measures is an important contribution.

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Section: Quality Assurance In Afghan Higher Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quality assurance in Afghan higher education: achievements and challenges

Welch

Wahidyar²

2019

AEDS

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“…In addition, due to the centrality of BI in international education we cannot foresee a large-scale recruitment of international students to this Islamic university in Jakarta. One indication for this is that, despite the generous provision of scholarships from the Indonesian government, only Aisyah expressed an interest in pursuing postgraduate studies in Jakarta, thus strengthening the conclusion of Welch (2012) in his comparison of international Islamic education provided in Malaysia and Indonesia.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, due to the larger economic circumstances in the country, Kell and Vogel's scenario is not applicable to the Indonesian case. And, as discussed above, Welch (2012) points out that while the internationalisation of higher Islamic education in Malaysia includes aspects of commodification (see also Graf, this issue), the situation in Indonesia, which itself is financing international students, is rather to be seen as commodification in reverse. Therefore, hypothetically, the generous grants of scholarships could be a strong enough incentive for students to extend the length of their studies in Jakarta.…”

Section: Developments Within Indonesian Islamic Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additionally, they suffer from an inability to provide education in international languages. Nevertheless, there are a limited number of international students enrolled in Indonesia's vast and diverse system of higher Islamic education (Welch 2012: 73–76) 1 . According to Terra Gargano, most transnational migration studies neglect individual voices in general and experiences of educational border crossing in particular.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Going Far or Staying Close? Transnational Mobility among Southeast Asian Students in Islamic Studies

Kull¹

2015

TRaNS

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This article discusses eleven Southeast Asian students’ transnational mobility in order to obtain higher education at an Islamic university in Jakarta. A life story approach has been used and semi-structured and interviewee-oriented interviews have been carried out in the field, as well as on the internet. The focus is not only on the students’ individual experiences, such as educational background, strategies in mobility, prevailing life conditions, educational objectives, and future plans, but also on why they chose international Islamic studies in Jakarta and how they evaluate the education offered there. Gender constitutes an overall empirical and analytical aspect of this article, taking into account the prevailing gender order, or norm, in the students’ homelands and families, as well as gender regimes, or relations, in the educational and social environment in Jakarta. These students have mixed backgrounds regarding nationality, class, parents’ education, gendered and religious norms, and previous contacts outside of their homelands. All, however, accumulate social capital in the transnational social fields or networks – physical and digital – that they take part in during their time in Jakarta and after they finalised their studies. All the students plan for further studies or a working career, and a majority of the students intend to return – or have already returned – to their home country, while a few prefer a third country. They can be defined as so-called temporarily uprooted locals, with an even spread on a scale from localism to cosmopolitanism in their individual identity formation.

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“…Islamic higher education constitutes both an illustration of, and challenge to, our understanding of regionalism in Indonesian higher education. Islamic higher learning in the region now known as Malaysia and Indonesia is centuries old, and pockets of Islamic influence and higher learning exist in the south of the Philippines and Thailand, as are connections to trans‐regional centres of Islamic scholarship, for example the venerable Al Azhar in Egypt (Riddell, 2001; Azra, 2004; Welch, 2008, 2012). The earliest forms of Indonesian higher learning were indeed Islamic, with some of its brightest pupils going on to post‐graduate studies at universities in the Middle East, notably Al Azhar, which was founded in Cairo circa 970 CE .…”

Section: Regional Engagement In Higher Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The limits of regionalism in Indonesian higher education

Welch

2012

Asian Education and Development Studies

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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine key challenges to effective regionalism for Indonesian higher education (HE), including charting its international engagement in regional HE networks and associations, and links to China and the Islamic world.Design/methodology/approachBased on empirical and documentary analysis, the article examines key challenges to effective regionalism for Indonesian HE.FindingsAs a leading stakeholder within ASEAN, Indonesia could be expected to play a major role in such regional networks as ASEAN Universities Network (AUN) as well as APRU, SEAMEO RIHED, and the like. Yet, even relative to some of its regional neighbours, (Singapore, Malaysia, and the somewhat anomalous Australia and New Zealand), the Indonesian HE system is peripheral, with a relatively minor presence in the international knowledge system.Research limitations/implicationsThe world's most populous Muslim‐majority nation, and a rising regional power, including within ASEAN, nonetheless Indonesia confronts key challenges in its HE system, both national and international. The rising demand for HE cannot be filled by public sector HEIs alone, while the proliferation of private sector HEIs, some unaccredited, poses significant issues for quality control and governance. Adding to this are external challenges, including the monitoring of international programmes and partnerships. Financing of HE is a further significant constraint, while corruption is also a major influence in Indonesian society, including in HE (thus further raising the governance stakes).Originality/valueThe two examples cited – of Islamic higher education, and of China‐Indonesia relations – each demonstrate the extent, and the limits, of regionalism in Indonesian HE.

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Seek Knowledge Throughout the World? Mobility in Islamic Higher Education

Cited by 21 publications

References 11 publications

Quality assurance in Afghan higher education: achievements and challenges

Quality assurance in Afghan higher education: achievements and challenges

Going Far or Staying Close? Transnational Mobility among Southeast Asian Students in Islamic Studies

The limits of regionalism in Indonesian higher education

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